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Week 16.1 – The fashion sustainability week in review

THIS ISSUE

Brands in this issue include: H&M (working with Hong Kong university exploring sustainable design), Nike (NYU students urge reevaluation of ties), REI (commits to expansion of resale and rentals), Sundried (clothes made from plastic bottles and coffee), Supre (heir says not to fast fashion), Tchibo (continues work with IndustriALL; holds public dialogue with senior German representatives on sustainability; dispenses with plastic packaging), Zalando (90 ventures in accelerator), and more.

“If you think about how many people are employed by H&M and how many people they employ indirectly through their supply chain – if they can turn that around even by the little things they’re achieving now it can have a huge impact on the sustainability of the fashion industry.” Jackie May, Founder of Twyg (14 Apr).

“It has become clear that voluntary sustainable behaviour by companies has not yet achieved the desired effect … today’s business models do not fit together: [voluntary CSR] cannot reconcile companies earning a lot of money from an economic model at odds with companies acting sustainably. Regulation must therefore create a level playing field for all.” Nanda Bergstein, Director, Corporate Responsibility at Tchibo (12 Apr).

“How can multiple brands work in the same factory and some have agile and efficient supply chains, while their counterparts are still operating like it’s 1995?” Edward Hertzman (11 Apr).

“This is New York, one of the cradles of civilization, and there is nothing civilized about electrocuting and skinning animals just for a frivolous fashion item that has already fallen from favor.” PETA’s senior vice president Dan Mathews (09 Apr).

Students urge NYU to reevaluate ties with Nike due to its labor practices: “Student activists discussed at an event on Thursday Nike’s mistreatment of workers following the company’s withdrawal from Indonesia and decision to provide minimal or no severance pay to Indonesian workers in 2011. Two Indonesian union leaders scheduled to speak at the event — Linda Ratnasari and Siti Chasanah — were unable to attend after the State Department denied their visa applications, according to SLAM members” (12 Apr).

This athletic brand makes its clothes from plastic bottles and coffee: “The activewear market is heavily saturated. But that didn’t stop entrepreneur Daniel Puddick from founding Sundried, a British active sports apparel brand, with a unique eco-friendly twist. The company’s two most recent collections are made from 100% recycled materials – plastic bottles and coffee grounds” (12 Apr).

Fairness in unfair times – or the end of sustainability? [Ed’s note: from the Tchibo blog.] “Sustainability is becoming more and more “mainstream” – fortunately. Nevertheless, let’s not fool ourselves: conditions in the world are not always fair. The issue of living wages in the textile industry shows how complex the challenges are. Tchibo therefore invited selected representatives to a press-public dialogue event on 3 April in Berlin. Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Joschka Fischer, former Federal Foreign Minister, Dr. Frank Hoffer, managing director of the initiative ACT for living wages, and the fair fashion experts Barbara Meier and Marie Nasemann were among those who attended” (12 Apr – in German).

Hanneli Rupert defends use of exotic skins in South Africa: “Hanneli Rupert, daughter of Johann Rupert, chairman and controlling shareholder of Cartier and Chloe-owner Richemont, has emerged as a bold countercurrent voice in the fashion world, defending the use of exotic leather while the rest of the industry has been moving away from it” (12 Apr).

Supre heir: There’s no future in fast fashion: “A woman whose father founded the Supre fast fashion clothing chain – and who worked for more than a decade as its international brand manager – says if she were starting a business now, it wouldn’t be in fashion … “She said this week’s Tearfund ethical fashion report was an accurate reflection of what was happening in the industry” (12 Apr).

Tchibo dispenses with plastic packaging: German retailer Tchibo opens new store in Austria, dispensing with shrink-wrapped plastic. The company says it will phase out all plastic packaging by 2020 (11 Apr – in German).

Zalando x circular.fashion: “With our accelerator, we support ventures that reimagine transparency. Among a pipeline of over 90 ventures, we support circular.fashion, who makes it possible to trace the history of materials used in a garment as far back as possible” (09 Apr).

NEWS & REPORTS

Nine out of ten textile companies well on the way to meeting sustainability targets: “An assessment shows that 86% of brands participating in the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) are well on the way to meeting the AGT targets. This is a conclusion of the annual report published by the parties to the AGT today” (15 Apr).

The race is on to make fast fashion become sustainable: “It’s a pressing question – can initiatives to make fast fashion sustainable, become successful fast enough? Jackie May, founder of sustainable living platform Twyg, has just returned from Stockholm where she attended the Global Change Awards, created by the Foundation set up by clothing retail giant H&M” (14 Apr).

Hungary helping bring sustainability into fashion: “Now in its fourth year, Global Sustainable Fashion Week is a unique Budapest-based event that combines an international conference, workshops, displays and fashion shows dedicated to sustainable and ethical fashion and art” (13 Apr).

Sustainable fashion – the green-fashion movement: “there is a looming concern over the impending impact this drastic rise in global fashion production will have on the environment hinged on the fact that the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions in the world comes from the ‘use phase’ of clothing. Fast fashion as a fad is progressively crippling the earth as we know it and there needs to be industrial amendments to counter it by making it ethical and eco-friendly.” (12 Apr).

Why fast fashion should slow down – Science Weekly podcast: “With the help of the Chips with Everything podcast, Science Weekly unravels the true cost of our throwaway culture and looks to tech for solutions. Graihagh Jackson speaks to Prof Tim Cooper from Nottingham Trent University about the issues surrounding taking your clothes to the charity shop and how some synthetic fibres are contributing to plastic pollution in our oceans. Jordan Erica Webber talks to Orsola de Castro of Fashion Revolution about apps that help map a company’s supply chain and manage your fashion footprint” (12 Apr – 25:26-minute podcast).

Are brands serious enough about their sustainability missions? “These days, many brands are giving back on varying levels, from local to international, with focuses ranging from human and civil rights to environmental and sustainable missions. The question is, are brands serious about keeping to the cause?” (11 Apr).

I’m breaking up with sustainable fashion: “Breakup may be a misnomer, but I’ve come to realize that I’m disillusioned with the community that grew around the sustainable fashion industry, because as it grew, it inherited many of the problems associated with conventional fashion” (11 Apr).

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Bangladesh

The Accord must continue in Bangladesh until the government is truly able to ensure worker safety: “The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has given another short-term extension to the Bangladesh Accord, scheduling the next hearing to determine the safety program’s fate on 19 May 2019. UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union, two signatories of the Accord, issued the following statement: “The Bangladesh Accord has saved lives and has helped make the country’s garment industry more sustainable,” said Head of UNI Commerce, Mathias Bolton. “We welcome the one month extension but the facts remain the Accord must be allowed to continue operations in the country until the government is ready to effectively take over the training, inspection, and remediation functions of the Accord. Currently, the government clearly does not have that capacity” (15 Apr).

Mirpur building fire under control: “Two firefighters fell sick after inhaling smoke as they were trying to douse the fire, said Maj Shakil Newaj, director (operation) of the fire service … The fire originated at a godown on the sixth floor of the building “Khan Mansion & City Park”” (14 Apr).

Govt plans to amend fire rules: “The government has decided to amend the Fire Prevention and Fighting Rules 2014 to relax major safety clauses under pressure from apparel and knitwear factory owners. Home affairs ministry in March asked the Fire Service and Civil Defence to prepare a fresh draft with a view to amending the rules after considering observations given by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association regarding the standard of the safety clauses … They are for reducing width of the approach roads, empty spaces around the buildings, capacity of hydrants and other fire safety equipment set as standard in the rules” (13 Apr).

When it comes to transparency, seeing is believing: “Denim Expert, a jeans manufacturer which is based in Chittagong, is at the vanguard of this change which is sweeping the industry. The company has always been a great believer in transparency, and the company’s owner, Mostafiz Uddin, is someone who always practices what he preaches on this issue” (11 Apr).

Cambodia

Defiant Hun Sen tells US to cut all aid to Cambodia: “Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen challenged the United States on Sunday to cut all aid after it announced it was ending funding for a general election next year in response to the dissolution of the main opposition party, media reported” (13 Apr).

The rising cost of Hun Sen’s rule in Cambodia: “On 4 April, a group of international buyers’ associations from the garment, footwear, sporting, and travel goods industries sent a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to express concerns over abusive labour practices and human-rights violations” (14 Apr).

MANUFACTURERS

Hong Kong WiseEye wins international award: WiseEye, an AI-based Textile Material Inspection System, has won two grand awards and a gold medal at the Geneva Inventions Expo. “This intelligent system can be installed on any weaving machines, and can identify about 40 common fabric defects with exceptionally high accuracy resolution of up to 0.1 mm/pixel, reducing 90% of material loss and wastage in the fabric manufacturing process” (15 Apr). [Ed’s note: see video here.]

Amni Soul Eco polyamide yarn is part of Sustainable Thinking, eco-exhibition held at Museo Salvatore Ferragamo: “Created by the international multi-specialty chemical Solvay Group, this award-winning fiber has been selected as a remarkable chapter in the history of sustainability due to its astounding biodegradable properties … Amni Soul Eco branded fibers are designed to decompose in around five years when disposed in well-controlled landfills” (12 Apr).

AG unveils sustainable water-saving denim technology: “US denim brand AG is taking steps to plug the leak, installing state-of-the-art equipment in its LA and Mexico factories to ensure that 100 per cent of its water is recycled during production. Now only 1,200 gallons of water are lost per day due to evaporation or spillage” (12 Apr).

Asia Dyestuff Industry Federation (ADIF) and ZDHC announce collaboration: “During the 2019 China InterDye exhibition the China Dyestuff Industry Association (CDIA), the Asia Dyestuff Industry Federation (ADIF) and ZDHC organised a joint information event, which included the announcement of ADIF joining ZDHC as Contributor. The event also marks the start of a collaboration which is expected to significantly accelerate sustainable chemical management uptake across the Asia region” (12 Apr).

These eco-friendly textile makers are ushering in a new era of sustainability: “Consumers aren’t the only ones going green. The manufacturers of high-quality materials used in shoes are, too, as sustainability standards continue to rise around the globe. To meet the environmentally conscious demands of footwear and apparel brands, market-leading textile producers are seeking new ways to generate eco-friendly fabrics without compromising on performance” (11 Apr). [Ed’s note: article focuses on A&E and Coats.]